Helen Taylor Terrill
(September 4, 1915 - August 15, 2017)

Helen Taylor Terrill was born on September 4th, 1915, in Ogden, Utah to John Lorin and Genieve Douglas Taylor. Her nearly 102 year life span covered many significant world and national events – and she often spoke about these events and the impact they had on her life.

She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Ruth, Jack, Richard, and William. She was also preceded in death by her son James Douglas Terrill and a great-grandson, Jonah Adam Terrill.

After her childhood in Ogden, the family suffered financial reverses that necessitated a move to Southern California, where Helen graduated from high school. She often told the story about how grateful she was that the school required uniforms, so no one would know she only had one and washed and ironed it each night. She was careful and frugal and things lasted a long time in her house!

She graduated from UCLA with a degree and teaching credential in Physical Education. She taught briefly at Whittier High School. She was always physically active – undoubtedly a factor in her long life.

She met her future husband, Harry Porter Terrill, through family friends, and they were married on August 19th, 1938. She often said that Pop was her best friend, a comment that tells us a lot about their relationship. Her husband served briefly in the Army at the end of World War II, and she also often told the story of packing up her three young children and driving to Ft. Bliss in Texas to say goodbye before he shipped out. He ended up not needing to ship out, but the trip always sounded adventurous.

In 1947, she and her husband started a contracting business and together they built a home and raised a family – Frances Terrill Doney, James Douglas Terrill, and Harry Porter Terrill, Jr. At her passing, she left 17 grandchildren, 58 great-grandchildren, and 8 great-great grandchildren.

In 1983, she and her husband served a mission for the LDS Church in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Their final years together were complicated by Harry’s poor health, and he died in 1991. After his death, Helen toyed with the idea of living in Utah and rented an apartment there for a few months to “try it out.” But California was home, and she returned.

Helen was active in the LDS church, serving in many capacities including the women’s auxiliary and the children’s organization. In her later years, she could be counted on to take flowers from her garden to the chapel each Sunday for services. She enjoyed gardening and her roses were beautiful. She was also active in the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers – an activity she participated in almost to the end of her life.

It would take a book to chronicle all the people Helen loved and assisted – she was happiest when she was serving others. If a friend or family member was in need of a place to stay, they found a welcome mat at Helen’s home. Emotional, physical, financial, and spiritual help and direction could be found in her loving heart. She has left a great legacy for her posterity.

Her final years were complicated by difficulties with cognition. In 2014 it became necessary for her to leave her home and live in an assisted living facility. She never quite accepted the inevitability of that decision and spoke often of returning home. But she could be fun to visit with – and still wanted to help whenever she could – if you came by her room at mealtime, she would insist on sharing her tray with you!

She died peacefully on August 15, 2017, with her daughter by her side. We are certain that there was a happy reunion in heaven that day.

Graveside Services will be Friday, August 25, 2017 at 2:00pm, held at Rose Hills Memorial Park. Memorial service will be Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 11:00am, held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 150 West Duarte Road, Arcadia.

Source: Chapman Funeral Homes
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Son: James Douglas Terrill, # 43581386